This one grabbed and kept my interest. The story presented a fresh, interesting take on government conspiracy and human experimentation. The writing blended relationships, science, greed and corporate leadership issues/conflicts well and the story was told with consistent momentum, which gave it the kind of steady pace that encourages continuous reading/listening. The third-person story was told from the perspective of the protagonist, Joe Tesler, and several other interesting characters, including the primary antagonists. My favorite character is the dog, Edison, whose role is probably as strong and significant as Tesler’s, and whose presence in the story adds credibility, color and texture throughout the narrative, which I especially appreciated during phases of the story that would have otherwise over-challenged plausibility.
One drawback for some listeners may be the plethora of coincidences and conveniences and, yes, even out-and-out contrivances afforded to the hero Tesler while others around him are killed and maimed. This served as a notable (thus the overall lower rating) but somewhat forgivable distraction as the story carried itself well in so many other ways (thus the higher “story” rating). Another notable, but relatively smaller, gripe is the abrupt ending, which presented a shock effect (not in a good way) even in light of the story being the first installment of a suggested series.
Narrator Jeffrey Kafer’s performance was excellent. His pace, tone and age projections were perfect fits for the characters and the tempo of the story. Also, he voiced female characters in that exceptional way that does not sound too heady or pitched or otherwise unfitting.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you Audiobook Boom.